Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Ian Plant
Christopher Forbes
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Gain an understanding of Greek, Roman and Near-Eastern society and culture through the study of myth. You will begin with the earliest creation myths, examining the development of myth in literature and art. The unit is largely based upon Greek and Latin texts in translation as well as the representation of myth in art. Near-Eastern and biblical texts will also be studied. The unit focuses on the relevance of key themes in myth to the cultures in which the myths arose, investigating their roles in the religious, political and social life of the classical world.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Extensions
Extensions for assignments can only be granted for medical reasons or on compassionate grounds. Requests for an extension must be made through Ask.Mq: https://ask.mq.edu.au
Faculty Late Submission Penalty
“Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.”
Final Submission Dates All work for this course must be submitted by the Friday of week thirteen, unless there are special circumstances (normally illness or serious misadventure) and unless an extension of time has been granted by the Unit Convenor or the Dean of Arts. At 5pm on the Friday of week 13 the access to the quizzes will close and no further attempts will be possible. You have the whole semester to complete the quizzes. There will be no extension in time for completion of quizzes beyond the closing deadline. You are strongly advised not to leave them until the final week of the session.
Special Consideration (eg. for an extension of time to complete an essay)
A student who has experienced unexpected, unavoidable, and serious circumstances affecting their assessable work may lodge an application for Special Consideration.
Applications will only be accepted in the following circumstances:
Important Note on Grade Appeals A Grade Appeal can only be lodged on specific grounds. Please ensure you understand what these grounds are before submitting any application. Do follow the procedure specified for a Grade Appeal so that your appeal can be resolved promptly. Please do not email me to ask me to remark work. Note that it is not possible to appeal the result of an individual assessment task completed during the teaching of the unit. An appeal is only possible once the final grade has been released.
For the university's policy on Grade Appeal see: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/procedure.html For the university's procedure on Grade Appeals see: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/procedure.html
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Tutorial Paper | 20% | No | Friday of week 6: 5pm |
Quizzes | 20% | No | Friday Week 13: 5pm |
Essay | 40% | No | Friday Week 10: 5pm |
Participation | 20% | No | Each week |
Due: Friday of week 6: 5pm
Weighting: 20%
Prepare written answers to the questions in tutorial 6 of no more than 1,000 words in total. Answers may be in point or note form. Address each of the questions in the tutorial and number your answers. Submissions which exceed the prescribed length will not be marked. A list of works of reference and ancient sources actually consulted and found useful should be appended as a bibliography (this list is not included in the word-count). Additionally, all work should be fully referenced. Citation of references and sources should conform to the guidelines set out in the document: Ancient History - Essay Presentation and Conventions (available on the unit's website).
ONE tutorial exercise must be submitted: the topic is defined in week 6.
Date Due: Tutorial exercise is to be submitted by 5pm (Sydney time) on the Friday of week 6 .
Submission: Submission is made electronically via the ‘Turnitin Tutorial’ link on the unit’s webpage.
Due: Friday Week 13: 5pm
Weighting: 20%
There are short online quizzes on the material covered in the lectures and tutorials each week. Access to the quizzes is through the unit’s website. You may take the quizzes at any time, but you may take each quiz only once. Maximum time allowed for each quiz is 15 mins. These quizzes are instead of an exam: there is no formal examination for the unit.
At 5pm on the Friday of week 13 the access to the quizzes will close and no further attempts will be possible. You are advised to complete the quizzes relevant to each week by the end of that week. The quizzes should be attempted after listening to the relevant lectures for that week. It may be useful to have the lecture notes (pdf) open while you attempt the quiz. The readings from the ancient evidence set for the tutorials may also be tested in the quizzes.
You have the flexibility in the course to take the quiz at any time up to the end of week 13 but please do note that access will be closed at the time specified above. Please do not start a quiz until you are ready to answer the questions! Last year some students opened a quiz to see how it worked: once opened the quiz must be completed as you may take each quiz only once.
Due: Friday Week 10: 5pm
Weighting: 40%
You are given a list of topics in the Essay section of the unit's ilearn site. Write ONE essay on one of the topics given. You should ask your tutor for further advice on writing your essay.
Submission: Submission is made electronically via the ‘Essay’ Turnitin link on the unit’s webpage.
Title for submitted Document: When you submit your document give it the following name:
Number of Question (1-4).Surname.Student ID number (eg 4.Smith.9458767)
Citation of Sources Used: A list of works of reference and ancient sources actually consulted and found useful should be appended as a bibliography (this list is not included in the word-count). Additionally, all work from which you draw ideas should be fully referenced in your text. Citation of references and sources should conform to the guidelines set out in the document found in the link on the unit website: Guide: Bibliography and Footnoting.
Word limit: 2000 words. Essays which exceed the prescribed length will not be marked.
Topics: A separate list of topics is on the unit webpage. Choose ONE topic and write ONE essay.
Due Date: You must submit your essay by 5pm on Friday of week 10.
Due: Each week
Weighting: 20%
Students are expected to discuss each tutorial topic in class (internal students) and online (external students) [this does NOT include week 6]. Discussion of the topic should include reference to the ancient sources specified for that week. Students should also address at least one of the works of modern scholarship listed for that topic and be prepared to engage with that scholarship in their discussion.
External students: Choose 1 question from each of the weekly seminars (excluding week 6) and comment on it briefly (100 words or fewer would be sufficient) in the online forum discussion room. Your response is due by Friday of each week by 11.00pm, but posting earlier in the week is better. You need to post your answer before you can see the answers of everybody else. You should also discuss the points raised by your fellow students. Your response should draw on the ancient source material set each week.
Internal students: You should be prepared to discuss the tutorial questions in class each week. You should prepare in depth a response to at least one of the questions, but also be ready to participate in discussion about all the questions. Your response should draw on the ancient source material set each week.
1. Delivery mode Internal and External
2. Lectures: Lectures have been pre-recorded for each of the thirteen weeks of the course. These lectures are available on the unit's website. There are notes to accompany each lecture: these and a list of topics are on the website too. You may set your own pace and listen to the recorded lectures at a time most convenient to you. There are no lectures to attend.
Tutorials: There are tutorials for eleven of the thirteen weeks of the course. Your tutor and your classmates will discuss the tutorial topics with you: for internal students that will be in class, for external students that will be online. External students should note the need both to answer the questions set and to respond to posts by other students. The tutorial topics are found in the weekly schedule for the unit on the website.
There is a summary list of lecture and tutorial topics on the website.
3. Online resources and requirements: Access to the unit's webpage is essential. Online you will find: recorded lectures, lecture notes, discussion of tutorial and lecture topics, essential unit information, the quizzes, submission links for your written assignments, and contact with teaching staff. The unit can be accessed online at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.
PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer s kills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Please contact teaching staff for any further or more specific information.
4. Essential Textbook: Ian Plant, Myth in the Ancient World (Palgrave Macmillan: Sydney, 2012). There is reading set from this book for each tutorial. All ancient sources required for the tutorials are in the textbook.
5. Modern Scholarship: For each tutorial, some modern scholarship has been chosen to supplement the textbook. These readings are available in E-Reserve through the Macquarie University Library’s website. You can access these readings online. Further reading may, of course, be found in the Macquarie Library too. Do not google a general website (such as Wikipedia) and think you have read what is required!
Unit schedule: Lectures and Tutorials
Lectures are pre-recorded. You may access them at any time through the unit's ilearn site. There are tutorials to complement each of the lecture topics (though they are not necessarily on the same subject matter). For internal students, tutorials are held with your tutor in class. For external students all tutorials are ONLINE. There are separate documents which include the content (questions and readings) for the tutorials on the unit's ilearn page.
Unit schedule: Lectures and Tutorials
Week |
Topics and Lecture topics |
Lecturer |
Tutorial Topic |
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Topic 1: Introduction to the study of myth |
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1 |
Lectures A: What is Myth? B: Definitions of Myth. |
Ian Plant |
Tutorial Topics Introduction to Study in Ancient History, in Arts and at MQ Introduction to the unit Introduction to Myth in the Ancient World. Daphne and Lucretia (Livy History of Rome and Ovid Metamorphoses) |
2 |
A: External interpretations of myth. B: Internal interpretations of myth. |
Ian Plant |
The Greek Gods A Greek Creation Myth (Hesiod Theogony) |
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Topic 2: Myths of Mesopotamia |
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3 |
Lectures A: Mesopotamian Creation Myths. B: Genesis and Mesopotamian Creation Myths |
Stephen Llewelyn |
Tutorial Topics Alienation of the Divine (Hesiod Works and Days & Genesis) |
4 |
A: The Near Eastern Context for the Biblical Myths. B: Mesopotamian and Biblical Flood Myths: |
Stephen Llewelyn |
Flood Myth (Genesis & Babylonian texts) |
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Topic 3: Myths of Ancient Egypt |
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5 |
Lectures A: Egyptian Creation Myths. B: Egyptian Creation and 'uncreation' myths. |
Lecturer Boyo Ockinga |
Tutorial Topic Egyptian Funerary Myth (The Book of the Dead) |
6 |
A: Divine Kingship in Egypt B: Ancient Egyptian Kingship Myths. |
Boyo Ockinga |
No tutorial class this week: prepare your tutorial paper for submission |
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Submit your tutorial paper this week |
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Divine Women (The Homeric Hymn to Demeter) |
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Topic 4: Myths of Ancient Greece |
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7 |
Lectures A: Amazons in Literature. B: Amazons in Art and History. |
Lecturer Ian Plant |
Tutorial Topics Myth in Drama (Euripides Bacchae & Amazon sources and iconography) |
8 |
A: The Search for the Trojan War. B: History in Homer |
Ian Plant |
The Trojan War (Homer Iliad) |
9 |
A: Myth and Religion: Greek Myth, Ritual and Religion. B: Greek Heroes and Hero Cult in Athens. |
David Phillips |
The Hero (Euripides and other Greek sources) |
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Topic 5: Myths of Rome |
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10 | Essay Due: Submit your essay this week |
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10 |
No Lecture this week |
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No tutorial class this week: prepare your essay for submission |
11 |
Lectures A: Roman Adoption of Greek Mythology. B: Roman Mythology. |
Lecturer
Tom Hillard |
Tutorial Topics The Founding of Rome (Livy, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Plutarch & Virgil) |
12 |
A: Ovid's Life and Work B: Ovid's Metamorphosis of myth |
Ian Plant |
Ovid & the transformation of myth (Ovid Metamorphosis) |
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Topic 6: Myths Today |
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13 |
Lectures A: The Christmas Stories
B: Heracles, Simpson & his Donkey |
Lecturers Stephen Llewelyn Ian Plant |
No tutorial class
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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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The unit has been restructured around key topics. Tutorials have been revised to integrate content with the themes raised in the lectures. Assessment tasks for OUA and MQ students have been aligned. New topic videos have been added.